Soundgarden Front-of-House Engineer: Chris Cornell Was ‘Out of Character’ at Final Show

Soundgarden’s front-of-house engineer has opened up on the night Chris Cornell passed away. Offering another close-up account of Cornell’s state on May 17, Ted Keedick claims Chris was “out of character from note one of the show.”

Chris Cornell’s death, which has been ruled a “suicide by hanging,” shocked the world once the news broke. There have been countless tributes to Cornell from his fellow musicians, while Chris’ wife, Vicky, shared publicly that she believes overuse of prescription drug Ativan contributed to Cornell’s passing. Vicky says Chris had taken “an extra Ativan or two” that night, having spoken with her husband a short time before he was found dead in his hotel room.

Ted Keedick worked with Cornell for the past deacde as the musician’s front-of-house engineer. Having seen Cornell peform countless times, Keedick noticed something wasn’t quite right with Chris as he began performing that night in Detroit. "Chris was out of character from note one of the show,” Keedick tells TMZ. “I’ve never heard or seen him that way before, at least if we did not cancel a show."

Keedick adds that Cornell seemed “high” and “f—ked up” that night, but not depressed. The crew member claims Cornell was in good spirits during Soundgarden’s sound check, similar to what Vicky Cornell shared about Chris’ mood on May 17.

Fan-shot footage of Soundgarden’s Detroit show can be viewed below, so you can judge Cornell’s onstage state for yourselves. Cornell was recently cremated in preparation for the rock legend’s funeral on May 26. For further coverage of Chris Cornell and additional tributes, stay tuned to Loudwire.